#499: Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Ask Rufus (1977)

The Abrahams return to the list with album #499: Ask Rufus by the funk powerhouse Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Abraham and Abraham once again lock horns with the Rolling Stone blurb, questioning the description of Chaka Khan as "combustible" and the musical analysis of "twisty-turny" song structures.

They dive deep into the band's dynamic, exploring how a Chicago funk band recruited a lead singer who would eventually LITERALLY eclipse them on their album covers. From Chaka Khan's origins with the Black Panthers and her Yoruba naming ceremony to the 16-month studio marathon that birthed this platinum record, the hosts break down the "Hollywood" sound of late-70s funk.

Is this a timeless masterpiece of neo-soul anticipation, or just a great collection of head-nodding beats? Does the instrumental "Slow Screw Against the Wall" prove the band doesn't need a singer to groove? And most importantly, is Ask Rufus actually better than Stevie Wonder's Secret Life of Plants?

In This Episode

• (00:00:00) - Welcome to The Abraham Records (Take 2)
• (00:03:48) - This Week's Album: #499, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Ask Rufus
• (00:06:29) - Chaka Khan’s Origins: The Black Panthers & The Name Change
• (00:16:55) - Roasting the Blurb: "Combustible" Singers & "Twisty-Turny" Songs
• (00:18:48) - The Ask Rufus Sound: 16 Months in the Studio & Orchestral Funk
• (00:25:42) - Instrumental Interludes: "Slow Screw Against the Wall"
• (00:29:59) - Track Attack: "Everlasting Love" (Shoulder Dancing vs. Head Nodding)
• (00:31:25) - Track Attack: "Hollywood" (Hypnotic Loops & "Pekka Pekka" Beats)
• (00:35:28) - Track Attack: "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" (The 90s in 1977)
• (00:44:07) - Deep Dive: The Album Art (Why is the band so small?)
• (00:52:45) - Tangent: Green Day’s American Idiot & First CD Purchases
• (00:57:27) - The Final Verdict: A Great Album, but is it the Right Album? (Justice for Stevie Wonder)

About The Abraham Records

Welcome to The Abraham Records, where we cover the 500 “greatest” albums of all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, but certainly not according to us.

Join us on an odyssey of discovery to determine which albums are truly great and which ones will hurt your face.

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